In an interview I read yesterday retiring Rep. Obey of Wisconsin said “the mood of the country is…’don’t bother me with the facts.’” I agree with him. Recently I have felt refreshed by doing research on issues of justice and peace. However, when I research information, or facts, that people do not want to hear I find myself ignored or rejected. Today I did some research in military ‘earmarks’ of our local congressperson that is considered a “liberal democrat”. Her record the last few years speaks otherwise. (See No More War Spending.)

I send out to local peace groups results of my research, documented, on her proposed military earmarks in the 2011 budget. So far the only response was from someone that I do not personally know asking why I was attacking this congressperson and questioning my creditability. There was no response so far to the researched facts I presented.

If people do not want to be bothered with the facts, should one bother to present them? A similar dilemma arises with our ‘opinions of truth’ as Gandhi called them. It also comes up with acting on conscience, even when it might be ‘misinformed’ as Dorothy Day suggest. We can answer the question of presenting facts as we see them; our ‘opinions of the truth’ as we believe them; act on our conscience even thought it may be misinformed two ways. We can fear making a mistake and just go with the flow or we can stand up for what believe.

For me personally there is no choice. I need to act of the facts, opinion of truth and my conscience. Not to do so would be make life meaningless for me. So I answer my own question saying “Fact do matter.”

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